'Cosmic Collisions' now showing at RU Planetarium

After a meteorite crashed in Russia and an asteroid whizzed by Earth last week, people have many questions about when another object might fall from the sky, said Rhett Herman, a physics professor at Radford University. Among the questions being posed, Herman said: How often do such things happen? Is "the big one" coming soon? Should we be worried? Are such collisions actually beneficial to us in some sense? How often does cosmic debris hit Earth?

Herman, who also manages the Radford University Planetarium, hopes he can answer some of those questions—and perhaps alleviate some fears—with a planetarium show titled "Cosmic Collisions."

The show explores the creative and destructive space collisions that gave birth to the sun, moon, galaxies and worlds, and ended the dinosaur age, Herman said. The one-hour show is narrated by actor Robert Redford and produced by the American Museum of Natural History.

"Cosmic Collisions" will show at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights through March 7. A full calendar of events is available online.